1. Field of the Invention
The present disclosure generally relates to the field of sanitary systems for dispensing of fluids. In particular, to the field of fluid dispensing systems wherein a bagged fluid, such as water, is dispensed via a spiked water dispensing device.
2. Description of the Related Art
Water is necessary for all life on earth. While humans can survive for several weeks without food, they can not survive for more than a few days (somewhere around five, depending on the temperature and humidity of the surrounding environment) without water. In fact, humans need a constant supply of water in order to replenish the fluids lost through normal physiological activities, such as respiration, sweating and urination. As it is involved in a number of different biological processes, water is essential for the growth and maintenance of the human body.
Potable water, or drinking water, is water that is fit for consumption for humans or animals. Although over seventy percent (70%) of the Earth's surface is covered in water, not all of this water is fit for human consumption. While oceans are sometimes mistaken for available water, the amount of energy needed to convert saline water to potable water is prohibitive, which explains why only a small portion of the world's water supply is derived from desalination. Of all the Earth's renewable resources, fresh water may well be the most unforgiving: difficult to purify, expensive to transport and impossible to substitute. Lack of potable water, albeit by lack of access to potable water, lack of water resources, or contamination, is historically one of the largest causes of human morbidity. Due to rising populations and the alleviation of poverty in quasi-developing countries, among other factors, the “resource crunch” on potable water will only increase in the future.
One of the main reasons for poor access to potable water is the inability to finance and to adequately maintain the necessary infrastructure. Overpopulation and scarcity of water resources are also contributing factors.
Access to potable water is a significant issue in the developing world. As water supply and sanitation require a huge amount of capital investment in infrastructure, such as pipe networks, pumping stations and water treatment works, it is estimated that developing nations will need to invest at least two hundred (200) billion U.S. dollars per year to replace aging water infrastructure systems, establish water infrastructure systems, reduce leakage rates, and protect water quality. This capital intensive nature of starting and maintaining a sanitary water supply to a population restricts access to this technology and leaves many in the developing world without a reliable potable water source.
Currently, in rural communities, individuals will generally walk around one (1) to three (3) miles daily to access the public potable water source, carrying heavy containers on their heads generally totaling around five (5) to eight (8) gallons per trip. Should there be contamination at the public water source; the whole community could be put at risk.
Potable water can be accessed from a number of natural sources. These sources include: ground sources (e.g., aquifers, aquitards, etc.); water from the sky (also called storm water, this includes rain, hail, snow and fog); surface water (e.g., streams, rivers, lakes, etc.); among other sources such as plants and animals. While fresh water is a renewable resource, the world's supply of clean, fresh water is steadily decreasing. The demand for potable water already exceeds supply in many parts of the world, and as the world's population continues to rise at an unprecedented rate and a larger portion of the world's population joins the middle class, many more areas are expected to experience this imbalance.
In recognition of the rising population's demand for potable water exceeding the available supply, the United Nations and other world-wide political and philanthropic organizations have coined the term “water crisis.” The two major factors of the water crisis are the overall scarcity of useable water, combined with pollution of existing potable water sources.
While the world's population tripled in the 20th century, the use of renewable water resources has grown six-fold. Within the next fifty years, the world population will increase by another forty percent (40%) to fifty percent (50%). This population growth, coupled with industrialization and urbanization, will result in an increasing demand for water and will have serious consequences.
The water crisis will only get worse in the coming decades as the world's population grows and a greater percentage of that population joins the middle class. Historically, as a country's economy becomes stronger; i.e., as its GNP per capita rises, a larger percentage of its people tend to have access to drinking water and sanitation. Access to drinking water is generally measured by the number of people who have a reasonable means of getting an adequate amount of water that is safe for drinking, washing, and essential to household activities. Accordingly, as the two populous countries of China and India alleviate poverty, paving the way for more of their populations to enter the middle class, these countries will also have a higher water consumption: from demanding fresh water twenty four (24) hours a day, seven (7) days a week and basic sanitation service, to demanding water for gardens and car washing, to wanting Jacuzzis or private swimming pools.
Taking the above together, it has been projected that North Africa, the Middle East, South Africa and Northern China will face a very severe water shortage due to physical scarcity and a condition of overpopulation relative to their carrying capacity with respect to water supply. In addition, it has been projected that most of South America, Sub-Saharan Africa, Southern China and India will face water supply shortages by 2025. For these later regions however, the causes of scarcity will be economic constraints to developing safe drinking water, as well as excessive population growth.
As to contamination, waterborne diseases, which cause a large number of deaths, are caused by pathogenic microorganisms in water which are directly transmitted to a host when contaminated drinking water is consumed. While the occurrence of waterborne diseases in developed countries is generally low due to a good system of water treatment, distribution and monitoring; waterborne diseases are among the leading cause of morbidity in low and middle income countries, commonly referred to as developing countries. According to the World Health Organization, diarrheal disease accounts for an estimated four point one percent (4.1%) of the total global burden of disease and is responsible for the deaths of one point eight (1.8) million people every year. It is estimated that eighty eight percent (88%) of that burden is attributable to unsafe water supply, sanitation, and hygiene; and is mostly concentrated in children in developing countries.
While many pollutants threaten water supplies, the most widespread, especially in underdeveloped countries, is the discharge of raw sewage into natural waters. This method of sewage disposal is most common in underdeveloped countries, but it also prevalent in quasi-developed countries such as China, India, and Iran.
Sanitation is the hygienic means of preventing human contact from the hazards of wastes to promote health. Hazards can be either the physical, microbiological or chemical agents of disease. Wastes that can cause health problems include human and animal fecal material, solid wastes, domestic wastewater (e.g., sewage, sullage, greywater), industrial wastes, and agricultural wastes. Hygienic means of prevention can be by using engineering solutions (e.g., sewerage and wastewater treatment), simple technologies (e.g., latrines, septic tanks), or even by personal hygiene practices (e.g., simple handwashing with soap). Despite known methods of sanitation, it is estimated that up to five (5) million people die each year from preventable waterborne diseases as a result of inadequate sanitation and hygiene practices.
In addition to the developing world and other areas where access to potable water and sanitation are significant issues, access to sanitary water sources also becomes an issue in both the developing and the westernized world during health scares and in the wake of natural disasters.
Health scares happen when there is leakage of dangerous biological or chemical contamination agents into local water supplies. Such contamination can be caused by run-off of agricultural growth or pesticide agents into a community's water supply, sewage leakages, or other forms of contamination. At such times, affected populations are informed by public health officials not to drink from the contaminated public water supply and to stick to sanitary water sources.
In the wake of a natural disaster such as a flood, hurricane, tornado, tsunami, or earthquake, the potable water supplies in even developed countries may be interrupted due to contamination from raw sewage or toxic chemicals.
During such natural disasters, infrastructures break down and populations are cut off from their normal public potable water sources. Further, during such times transportation and access to alternative emergency water sources becomes limited.
To combat the problems caused by lack of access to potable water, lack of resources and contamination, both in developing countries without adequate infrastructures and in westernized countries during health scares and in the wake of natural disasters, many international aid organizations and emergency relief services have developed water storage containers and sanitation systems to supply at-risk populations with sanitized water.
Present devices include emergency water filters for the removal of biological pathogens from the water, water drums (large containers, thirty (30) to fifty (50) gallons, made of polyethylene food grade plastic used to transport water to at-risk areas), emergency water rations in foil pouches, germicidal treatment tablets for emergency disinfection of drinking water, water bladders for use in a bathtub, transportable plastic water jugs, and inflatable water bags.
The main problems with the present devices used to supply potable water to emergency disaster areas and developing countries in need of sanitary water are four-fold: high cost, difficulty in transporting, sanitation, and ease of use.
Emergency water filtration systems and germicidal tablets that sanitize a large enough quantity of water for a large population can be expensive. Further, use can be complicated and failure to use such systems properly can result in re-contamination of water supplies. Accordingly, such systems are often not economically or practically reasonable.
Water drums and plastic water jugs can be expensive, hard to transport and susceptible to contamination during use. These containers are usually made of polyethylene food grade plastic, and are in a thirty (30) to fifty (50) gallon size. Transport of such containers to the at-risk area is usually by truck or airline freighter. Once filled, the containers are heavy and burdensome to load and transport. The container's rigid shape limits the number of containers that can be transported at one time. Further, the added weight of the plastic container results in a higher price of transport; i.e., more fuel is needed to get the containers to their desired location. Further, in use, the lid of the drum is opened to allow access to the water inside, or a twist cap/opening system can be utilized. The wide opening of such access systems can lead to a contamination of the water supply in the drum or plastic container as it is utilized by a number of different people in an emergency situation.
Further, as the wide opening is open to the outside ambient air, the water supply housed in the jug or drum is further susceptible to contamination by airborne particulate.
Another major problem with plastic bottles and drums is that they must be washed and sanitized between every use. This adds to the cost of such water storage systems and is a particular problem in the developing world where water is already scarce, and the drums and jugs must be re-transported to a washing station for further sanitation after use.
The present emergency water rations in foil pouches and inflatable water bags, while easier to transport and lower in cost, have sanitation and ease of use concerns. Some bags are simply “cut open” to access the water. Such designs are easily contaminable, and not easily stored after opening. In other bagged systems that use a pump, the initial puncturing of the bag can be difficult, often resulting in holes in both sides of the bag or contamination of the water source from repeated puncturing attempts. Further, the foil bags are not usually recyclable, adding to waste concerns in disaster and developing areas. Lastly, although some inflatable water bags may be reused, they must be washed and sanitized between each use, raising the same problems of cost and transport that were previously mentioned when discussing sanitation of the plastic bottles and drums between use.
Accordingly, there is a need in the emergency disaster supply and international aid fields for a method of dispensing potable water to populations in need that is economical, easy to transport, easy to use, and minimizes risk of contamination.